AutoBlog Drives a Buick/Saturn Vue Plug-In Hybrid Prototype

Sam Abuelsamid from Autoblog: We had a chance for a quick drive of a development prototype for Buick's upcoming plug-in hybrid crossover this week at the GM proving ground. The prototype was still wearing its Saturn grille and badging as that was the original intent of the program. When Rick Wagoner announced in late 2006 that the company would develop a plug-in hybrid, it was intended to the be the Vue. Of course, at that time, Saturn still had a future as part of GM but we all know how that turned out. The two-mode hybrid system that was scheduled to go into production late last year lives on but is now paired with an 8 kWh lithium ion battery pack supplied by LG Chem. According to Larry Nitz, director of hybrid powertrain development, this is half of a Volt pack repackaged to fit under the rear cargo floor.

Random Article from the SaturnFans.com Archives

A caravan of Saturn Vue 2-mode hybrids drove away from Cobo Arena this afternoon, heading toward the presidential inauguration celebrations in Washington, D.C. "Change starts in your driveway," said Jill Lajdziak, Saturn general manager, who hopped in the first of 10 Vues lined up in front of the Detroit auto show site.